Phoenix Wright: Alternative Plea
by grisabele
Summary: AU. Five years ago, Matt Engarde got off scot-free, and Phoenix Wright stopped being a lawyer. Until he took a case as a favor. Now, Phoenix must contend with a prosecutor who does everything by the book, a detective who believes in second chances...and his own past.
1. 1:1: Trial Former

**ALTERNATIVE PLEA**

**EPISODE ONE: RETURN TO THE TURNABOUT**

_**December 8, 2012- Ivy University**_

"_This court sees no reason to further prolong the trial, nor is there any need for more time to decide the case against the defendant. This case is extremely clear. I see no room for any misinterpretation of the facts. This court finds the defendant...guilty."_

_Phoenix Wright's stomach tied itself into knots as he looked at his co-counsel, a petite girl with auburn hair cut into a short, shaggy bob that ended just below her ears. She stared straight ahead and scowled._

"_I, er—I should have-" Phoenix stammered_

"_Can it," the girl growled. "Pay attention." She gestured toward the center of the room._

_The middle-aged woman standing at the podium in the center of the classroom shook her head. "This concludes our mock trial. I want all of the participants to think very, **very **carefully about their mistakes." The professor turned her head toward Phoenix. "Especially the defense."_

_Phoenix groaned and turned to the girl standing next to him. "Look, Nola, I'm sure we're not going to fail this class just because of this. We still have one more mock trial to go! We'll win that one!"_

_Nola glared at Phoenix. "The way you blunder through things, it'll be a miracle if you even pass the bar!" Then, before Phoenix even had a chance to move, she punched him square in the face._

* * *

><p><strong>January 3, 2024- District Court, Defendant Lobby No. 2<strong>

_My name is Phoenix Wright. Five years ago, I was the defense in a sensational case—Matt Engarde, the famous actor, hired an assassin to kill his rival. But I couldn't prove it, and so...so an innocent woman was found guilty of the murder, instead. I lost everything in that trial. My friends, my hope...I swore I'd never take another case, and for five years, I didn't. But two nights ago, I got a phone call. A young woman was crying and begging for help. She said she'd been arrested for murder. I tried to tell her that I wasn't a lawyer anymore, but...she insisted. And there was something about her case that made me want to take it._

Phoenix Wright's eyes darted around the Defendant Lobby. It was almost the same as it had been years ago. He was sure that the solemn-faced bailiffs guarding the courtroom doors were the same ones who'd always been there. The same red couch sat in the corner, just under the same painting...

He sighed. This case was going to be a messy one. A young woman had fallen from the roof of her apartment building—actually, according to his reports, she had been pushed, and her best friend had been booked for the murder. Some of the details were still fuzzy; Phoenix had only taken the case the day before—wasn't that just par for the course?

Phoenix figured he'd just bluff his way through it, and accept the outcome.

"Mr. Wright?"

Phoenix turned around to face his client, a petite woman with long auburn hair that she'd put up in a high ponytail. She had a pretty, oval-shaped face with wide-set green eyes, bow-shaped lips, and a pert nose. She looked down at her feet and chewed on her bottom lip. She'd dressed plainly for her court appearance—she wore a yellow button-down coat, gray slacks, and a black-and-white striped turtleneck. She fidgeted with the buttons on her coat and looked around the courtroom.

Phoenix couldn't shake the feeling that he recognized her from somewhere.

_What was her name again?_

Phoenix grimaced and quickly checked his case summary. _Nola Contentra. Age 29. Works at the Prosecutor's Office. _

"Mr. Wright?" Nola repeated. She looked him straight in the eye and frowned. "If this turns out like that time..."

"What time?" Phoenix asked, bristling. "Like that time five years-"

"No." Nola shook her head, then sighed. "You don't remember me, do you?" The corners of her lips turned up slightly in a Mona-Lisa smile.

"I-" Phoenix shook his head. He couldn't deny that he felt as if he'd met Nola before, but _where? _It had driven him absolutely crazy when he'd spoken to her at the Detention Center on New Year's Eve, in the way that knowing the melody to a song but not the words might.

Nola clicked her tongue and frowned. "Lemme jog your memory. Law school. Mock trial."

Phoenix started to shake his head, then froze. "M-mock trial?" _I had a lot of those in law school, but one really sticks out..._

Nola nodded. "You may remember a little red-headed girl that was partnered with you during that mock trial. You blundered through it..."

It dawned on Phoenix then that Nola had _been _the red-headed girl he'd been partnered with. He wanted to kick himself for not recognizing her sooner. To be fair, her longer hairstyle _had _changed her looks, and he'd been preoccupied with lots of other things that particular year.

"And I—we lost," Phoenix said slowly.

Nola shrugged. "Just don't lose _this _trial, okay? Or I'll black both your eyes." She folded her arms across her chest and smirked.

Phoenix grimaced. _Urk! Better change the subject._

"So let me go back over a few things. You didn't give me a whole lot of prep time," Phoenix said. "You've been accused of murdering your best friend, Tiffany Glass, on New Year's Eve?"

"Mmmhmm." Nola nodded.

"She was pushed from the roof of her apartment complex, yes?" Phoenix continued.

"That's right," Nola said. She pushed her bangs out of her eyes.

"And the police suspect you because...?"

"Check your Court Record," Nola said. She tilted her head slightly. "You may find what you're looking for in Tiffany's autopsy report. Actually, go ahead and double-check all of the evidence, while you're at it."

Phoenix nodded and quickly pulled out the autopsy report.

_**AUTOPSY REPORT**_

_Tiffany Glass, age 30. _

_Estimated time of death: Between 12:10 am and 12:15 am January 1. _

_Cause of death: Broken spine and severe internal injuries after a fall from a great height. Death was likely immediate._

_Notes: Skin found under the victim's nails. Full DNA tests are pending, but some of the samples match those of the defendant. The defendant has several deep scratches on her right arm._

_**END AUTOPSY REPORT**_

_**EVIDENCE- VICTIM'S CELL PHONE **_

_The victim's cell phone was found on the roof of the apartment complex. _

_**RECENTLY RECEIVED CALLS**_

_**Mom- **12/9, 2:37 PM_

_**Perry A.- **12/20, 4:55 PM_

_**Perry A.- **12/22, 8:09 PM_

_**Aunt Emily- **12/25, 10:17 AM_

_**Perry A.- **12/25, 11:30 AM_

_**Perry A.- **12/31, 11:45 PM_

_**RECENTLY DIALED NUMBERS**_

_**Mom- **12/20, 4:35 PM_

_**Aunt Emily- **12/22, 9:00 AM_

_**Mom- **12/25, 3:47 PM_

_**Nola- **12/31, 8:18 PM_

_**Nola- **12/31, 9:45 PM_

_**Nola- **1/1, 12:03 AM_

_**END EVIDENCE**_

Phoenix's stomach tied itself into knots. Nola had to be guilty. _Had _to be. He stuffed the evidence back into his Court Record and sighed. Why did he bother? He should have known better than to believe in his client.

"Did you find what you were looking for, Phoenix?" Nola tilted her head slightly.

"It says in the autopsy report that the skin found under her nails was _yours_," Phoenix hissed. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't walk out of here right now."

Nola shrank back as though Phoenix had struck her and pouted. "Weren't you reading it carefully? Full DNA tests are _pending. _Only _some _of the skin is mine!" She folded her arms across her chest and bit her lower lip. "I told you what happened. She was dangling off the edge of the roof and I reached out my hand...but she couldn't hold on. And then the police found me up there."

She turned her head and eyed the bailiff, who was slowly making his way toward them. "Court's about to start, Phoenix. Let's go."

Phoenix swallowed. His hands were furiously shaking. He found himself faced with a very sudden, overpowering urge to run. He hadn't practiced law in five years! And anyway, Nola's case was pretty much open-and-shut. She had to be guilty. It was a waste of time for him to take this case, and he should have known better than to believe in her. He slowly turned and started edging away from the courtroom doors.

Nola seized his arm in a surprisingly powerful grip. "What the_ hell _do you think you're doing?You can't leave me like this!" she hissed.

Phoenix sighed deeply. _Well, it's too late to turn back now..._

_**Janurary 3- District Court, Courtroom No. 2**_

Phoenix was, initially, surprised to see the same Judge who'd always presided over his cases in the courtroom. But of course it made sense for this Judge to be there. Of course.  
>The Judge blinked a few times upon seeing Phoenix enter the courtroom. "Oh, Mr. Wright. I didn't know you were still practicing law."<p>

Phoenix grimaced. "I, ah, I haven't been. This is a favor."

The Judge nodded. "I trust that you've...ah, been studying?"

Phoenix nodded. "I have, Your Honor." He half-expected the Judge to quiz him on the details of the case, in the same way he had all those years ago during Phoenix's very first trial, but the Judge only nodded sagely.

"Very well," he said.

Phoenix took a deep breath and looked over at the prosecution's bench. There was no one there yet—and Phoenix found himself deeply unsettled by that fact.

Nola frowned. "Weird. Payne is usually super-early."

Phoenix groaned. Of course Winston Payne would be the prosecutor. _Of course. _

The Judge frowned. "The trial may have to be postponed-"

The doors that led to the Prosecution's Lobby swung open just then, cutting off the rest of the Judge's sentence. The click of heels on the polished floor echoed through the courtroom.

"That will be unnecessary, Your Honor," said a deep female voice.

Phoenix stared. That was _definitely _not Winston Payne.

The woman standing at the prosecution's bench was easily taller than Phoenix, even without her heels on. She had dark blue hair, which was pulled up into a tight bun, save for a fringe that fell over the right side of her face. A pair of pince-nez rested on her large, hooked nose, and behind those pince-nez were

steely gray eyes that seemed to notice everything. Phoenix found himself uncomfortably reminded of an eagle ready to swoop in for the kill.

Nola shook her head. "That's Prosecutor Javert," she whispered. "She's cold, man. Colder even than the French Alps from whence she came. Her win record isn't perfect, but she is relentless. They call her the Iron Lady. I heard she made a defense attorney cry once."

"P-Prosecutor Javert?" Phoenix stammered. "I-Iron Lady?" _That sounds an awful lot like a medieval torture device._

Javert turned her attention to Phoenix. "Oh. Monsieur Wright," she said, smiling cordially. "I do hope you followed the proper procedures in order to reinstate yourself as a lawyer?"

"I never turned in my badge!" Phoenix snapped. "I'm still a lawyer!" _What is __**with **__this lady?_

She folded her arms across her chest. "But you have been out of practice for five years, yes? I believe the law states that if you have a long period of inactivity-"

"Er...Ms. Javert?" the Judge interrupted. "What is the meaning of this?"

Javert looked toward the Judge. "My apologies, Your Honor. Winston Payne took ill last night. I had to take this case, and it took some time for me to get all of my paperwork sorted out..." She bowed her head. "I do hope that's all right?"

"Er, it's fine," said the Judge. He blinked a few times, then nodded. "Very well. Is the prosecution ready?"

"Very much so, Your Honor," Javert replied.

The Judge turned toward Phoenix. "Is the defense ready?"

"Uh...yeah. Yes, the defense is ready!" _I'm anything __**but **__ready._

"Then let's have the prosecution's opening statements," said the Judge.

Nola nudged Phoenix. "The law is Javert's religion. One slip-up and we're gonna be a in a world of hurt..."


	2. 1:2: Trial, Part One

_**January 3, District Court- Courtroom No. 2**_

Prosecutor Javert bowed before the court, and cleared her throat. "On New Year's Eve, the Cloverfield Apartments were the site of a murder most foul. A woman in the prime of her life was pushed from the roof, mere moments after the ringing in of the New Year. Worst of all, she was pushed by her dearest friend."

Phoenix took a deep breath and looked over at Nola. She appeared completely at ease.

"Perhaps the defendant thought that her position in the Prosecutor's Office would spare her—but here she was mistaken," Javert continued. "There is no room in our justice of system for one who would use her position to escape justice. It is the law itself that she will have to answer to, here and now."

A hush fell over the courtroom. Even the crowd in the galleries was uncharacteristically quiet.

The Judge opened his mouth, and Javert quickly spoke again.

"Perhaps it was a simple accident—although our witness says otherwise. But even if it was an accident, even if the defendant is wracked with guilt...then let her conscience be her punishment. As well as the prison!" Javert adjusted her glasses, then tilted her head as she folded her arms across her chest.

Phoenix swallowed. _That was...that was quite the opening statement. _

The Judge nodded. "Very well. You may call your first witness."

Javert adjusted her glasses again. "I would like to call the defendant herself to the stand, Your Honor. Let us hear her side of the story."

Without a word, Nola left her place at the defense bench and walked over to the witness stand. She twirled a strand of her auburn hair around her finger while she waited for Javert to speak again.

"Name?" Javert said.

"Nola Contentra."

"Occupation?"

"I'm an assistant in the Prosecutor's Office."

Javert nodded. "Good. Now, tell us what happened that night. What were you doing out on the roof of that building so late at night?"

Nola looked down at her feet. Phoenix's heart sank. Again he was assailed with the feeling that he should not have taken the case, that he had been foolish to believe in her.

"Quickly," Javert snapped. She slammed one palm on the desk and glared at Nola. "We have only a limited amount of time for this."

Nola sighed. "December 31 was Tiffany's birthday. I bought her a present. A silver charm bracelet. It was kinda unique...it had a unicorn charm on it."

"And where is the bracelet now?" Javert interjected.

Nola bit her lip. "I—I don't know. I don't have it."

Javert shook her head. "Hmph. Go on."

Phoenix's face froze in a grimace. _Shouldn't __**I **__be the one cross-examining here?_

"There's a fireworks display every year, an hour or so before midnight." Nola looked off toward the galleries and fiddled with the buttons on her coat. "Tiffany called me at about 10 and asked me to meet her on the roof so we could watch the fireworks. So I went, and I gave her her present, too." Nola smiled. "She really liked it and put it on right away! Anyway, we watched the fireworks and then hung out until after 11." Her face scrunched up. "Tiffany got a phone call at around 11:30 and asked me to leave. So I did."

"Where did you go?" Javert pressed.

Nola shrugged and tossed her hair. "I went home."

Javert lowered her head. Her blue fringe fell into her eyes. "You returned to the roof. Why?"

Nola closed her eyes, as if seeing the scene in front of her again. "I checked my phone around midnight and saw that I missed a call from Tiffany. I called her back, but she didn't answer. I was worried, so I went back up. I banged on her apartment door, but no one was there. So I ran back up to the roof and I found her hanging from the ledge. I tried to pull her up, but..." Nola's voice thickened. "I wasn't strong enough. She lost her grip on my arm and fell." She swallowed and opened her eyes again.

"I think I've heard enough," Javert said, turning her attention toward the Judge. "Of course, procedure dictates that the defense must cross-examine the witness." She leaned back a little, and the corners of her lips turned up in a very slight smile.

"O-of course!" said the Judge. He turned toward Phoenix. "You may cross-examine the wit—err, the defendant."

Phoenix took a deep breath. _Showtime. _He froze. What on Earth was he going to say? What on Earth could he say? Prosecutor Javert had all but cross-examined Nola for him!

"So, uh, what happened to the bracelet?" _Smooth, Phoenix, real smooth. _

Nola shrugged. "I-" She took a deep breath. "This is gonna sound really bad, isn't it?"

Phoenix blinked. "What is?"

"I kinda lied when I said that I didn't know where the bracelet was," Nola said in a voice that was just above a whisper. "But, um, I found half of it on the roof." She grinned broadly and pulled a thin silver chain out of her pocket. One link on the chain was pulled wide open—it'd be easy to match with the other half, assuming that there was indeed another half.

Phoenix all but slammed his face into his bench. Nola was doing _nothing _to help herself. "Why did you hide that from the police?"

"They didn't _ask!_" Nola snapped.

"Calm down, Ms...err, defendant," warned the Judge.

Phoenix flipped through his Court Record. "The autopsy report states that the victim had some of your skin under her nails. Explain that."

Nola scowled. "I thought you were helping me. It's like I'm being double-teamed here," she whined.

"Answer him," said Javert. "I do so enjoy watching you tie your own noose. You are making my job very, very easy."

Nola glared daggers at Javert, then took a deep breath. "When I reached down to grab her, she got hold of my arm, and she kinda dug her nails in. Look." Nola rolled up the right sleeve on her coat and showed off her arm. Sure enough, there were several ugly red scratches from her elbow to her wrist. She turned her arm and revealed more scratches on the palm of her hand.

_Well, that seems to add up, _Phoenix thought. He cradled his chin in one hand while he desperately tried to think of some way to make Nola look a little less guilty. What else could he possibly touch on?

"Are you finished, Mr. Wright?" asked the Judge.

"N-no!" Phoenix leaned back and nervously scratched his head. "I, um, I want to know about the phone call! Yes! Why would the victim ask you to leave over a phone call?"

Nola blushed. "Um, well, she would have wanted that to be secret."

Phoenix groaned. _To press her harder or not to press her harder, that is the question. _He looked around the courtroom. Javert was watching him. Her face was expressionless, but Phoenix was _sure _she was looking for any sign of weakness. Nola was fiddling with her buttons. And the Judge looked ready to give his verdict then and there.

_Press her harder, _Phoenix decided. He almost laughed. Five years ago, it would have been an easy decision to press harder.

"Nola. Look. Things are looking _incredibly _bad for you right now," Phoenix said. "I can't give you a miracle, because there's no such thing. You can tell the whole story now, right now, or you can be found guilty. Those are your options."

Nola took a deep breath. "But Tiffany-"

"Tiffany is dead because she wanted to keep that secret!" Phoenix bit his lip. That had been the first thought that sprang to his mind. He'd pretty much just pulled it out of his ass, but if it would get Nola to talk, well...

"Don't you guilt trip me, Phoenix Wright," Nola hissed. "I have a mother for that." She groaned. "Okay, player. You win. Tiffany had a kind-of boyfriend, see? And she'd broken up with him and she'd told everyone that she'd broken up with him, but he wouldn't leave her alone. She was kind of embarrassed about that..." Nola shook her head. "Anyway, he called her that night. And she asked me to leave because she didn't want me to see her get angry. Or maybe because she was finally agreeing to hash things out with him once and for all, and she didn't want me to see. Tiffany was a big believer in not airing her dirty laundry." Nola sighed. "So I went home."

"And where was home?" Phoenix asked.

"Home is the Saddle-Lite Apartments," Nola said. "It's just across the street from the Cloverfield Apartments."

Javert shook her head. "And how, exactly, is this relevant, Monsieur Wright?"

Phoenix took a deep breath. How was it relevant? He would _kill _to have a Fey with him in the courtroom now. But ever since Matt Engarde went free, he hadn't spoken to either Maya or Pearl. It wouldn't matter if he'd tried to contact them, anyway. They'd certainly never forgive him. He couldn't even forgive himself.

_Urk, this is no time to journey to the land of What-If!_

Phoenix shook his head and thought again of how the location of Nola's apartment would be relevant. If it was across the street, she could have gotten back to the Cloverfield Apartments in a hurry. He checked the autopsy report again. The victim had died at about 12:15. If what Nola said was true (and he very much doubted that), then she _could _have had time to walk home and then back before the victim had died, which meant that she could have gotten back in time to save her. But, then, where was the real killer?

"I will ask you again, Monsieur Wright. _How _is the location of the defendant's apartment at all relevant to this testimony?" Javert's voice had taken on a harder, more forceful tone.

Phoenix slammed his palms on his bench. "If my client's apartment is just across the street from the victim's apartment, then she _could _have left and returned in less than five minutes!" He pointed across his bench at Javert, purely out of habit. "She could easily have left when she said she did and returned before the victim's death!"

Javert adjusted her glasses. "And what does that prove, hmm?"

Phoenix froze. What did it prove?

"It doesn't prove anything," he conceded.

Javert nodded. "So we are in agreement, oui?" She bowed. "Then let us cease this pointless cross-examination."

The Judge nodded. "Very well."

Nola stamped back to her seat, glared at Phoenix, and sat back down.

"Do you believe in me or _not_?" she hissed. "I lied about the bracelet, okay? But everything else was true."

Phoenix ignored her. He didn't believe in her, and anyway, if she'd lied about the bracelet, she'd surely have lied about other things.

The Judge brought down his gavel. "I believe I've heard enough. I'm ready to render-"

"Un moment, Your Honor." Javert said. She pushed her fringe out of her eyes. "I have a witness who saw the deed take place. We must hear him out. That is what the law requires."

Phoenix grimaced. _Is she a human being, or is she LawBot3000?_

Nola rolled her eyes. "Oh boy."


	3. 1:3: Trial, Part Two

The next witness rose from his seat on the prosecution's side of the courtroom and walked over to the stand. He was about Phoenix's age, tall, a slight build, with slicked-back blond hair and beady green eyes set in a rectangular face. He wore a gray pinstriped suit and wrung his hands incessantly. A yellow scarf that clashed horribly with the suit was wrapped tightly around the man's neck, obscuring his jawline. Phoenix watched him for a moment, and thought he saw a glimmer of some sort of metal in the man's hands.

Nola nudged Phoenix. "Ph-Phoenix! That's Tiffany's old boyfriend." She scowled. "Shabby dresser. Look at that gross scarf."

Phoenix rubbed his chin. The victim's ex-boyfriend? Well, maybe he could work with that.

"State your name and occupation, s'il vous plait," said Javert.

The man nodded. "Perry Anthrust," he said in a deep voice that didn't seem to fit him. "I'm an accountant."

Javert nodded. "Very well. Merci. Now, tell us, what were you doing at the Cloverfield Apartments so late at night? And what did you see?"

Perry Anthrust swallowed. "I went on an errand. For a friend. Yes. Anyway. I wanted to get some air, so I headed upstairs. On the way, I was knocked over by a young girl. She was running down the stairs. I was curious, so I climbed up to the roof and looked down, and...I saw a woman laying on the pavement below-dead!" Anthrust shook his head. "It was a most unpleasant sight. I called the police immediately, of course."

Javert tilted her head toward Phoenix and almost smiled. "Cross-examination time. Use it wisely."

Phoenix narrowed his eyes. "Ready." Then he looked over at Anthrust.

"So. You were on an errand? On New Year's Eve?"

Anthrust nodded. "Yes. For a friend."

"And what was the errand?"

Anthrust shrugged. "It's not related to this case. I can't say."

Phoenix nodded. "Very well. Answer me this, then: According to my court record, it was stated that you saw everything-specifically, that you saw my client pushing the victim."

Anthrust swallowed and tugged at the scarf around his neck as his face turned a most interesting shade of red. "I-er, I did! I saw the whole thing!"

Phoenix slammed his palms against his bench, then pointed at Anthrust. "Then why doesn't your testimony include a single detail about what you saw? It seems like you didn't really see anything!"

Nola turned to Phoenix and grinned. "Hey, that's the spirit! There's that goofy kid from I remember from law school!"

Anthrust groaned. "I...er...I was nervous! I mean, I am nervous. Very nervous. You and the lady prosecutor both have reputations...ya know?"

Phoenix shook his head. "My reputation is irrelevant. Mr. Anthrust, did you or did you not witness my client pushing the victim from the roof of the building?"

Anthrust glared at Phoenix and took a few deep breaths. "I-I-I SAW EVERYTHING, ALL RIGHT?"

Javert's brows raised. "Oh? Then why did you not testify about it before? It's almost as if you're lying." She pulled a small notepad from out of her pocket and began to write.

"H-hey, what are you doing?" Anthrust stammered. "I said I saw everything?"

Javert said nothing while she finished writing. Then she looked up at Anthrust. "Mr. Anthrust. Amend your testimony. What did you see?"

Anthrust nodded. "Right. Okay, so here's how it all happened. For real. I was on the errand. I arrived at Cloverfield Apartments at around 11:45. I did my errand. Then I went to the roof for some air at around midnight. And Tiff-err, there were these two girls there. They were...fighting about something. I dunno what. I was too far away to hear." Anthrust started to wring his hands. "Anyway, the redhead started stepping close to the other girl, so she stepped backward. And then the redhead started yelling at the other girl, right?"

Nola looked over at Phoenix. "Did you catch that slip-up there? He nearly blew his own cover."

Phoenix only nodded. "Go on," he prompted. He stroked his chin and tilted his head. "What happened next?"

Anthrust leaned forward in his seat as though he were telling a ghost story. "The other girl screamed, and then, pow!" Anthrust gestured toward Nola, "Redhead pushed her. She raked Redhead's arm pretty good on her way down." Anthrust looked down at the floor. "Anyway. After I saw the girl get pushed, I ran and hid in the stairwell. I thought I was going to be next!"

Phoenix nodded. "Right. So you ran and hid after you saw the victim get pushed?"

"Yup." Anthrust ran his fingers through his blonde hair.

"And you didn't know either of the women?" Phoenix pressed.

"I-er, uh..."

"Remember how he slipped up earlier," Nola mumbled.

"If you had a friend in the Cloverfield Apartments, you might have at least seen one of them around," Phoenix said.

"I didn't know either of them," Anthrust sighed.

Nola nudged him. "Hey, Phoenix. You know that pointy-yelling thing you do when you catch someone lying? Now would be a really super time to do that."

Phoenix nodded, and double-checked his court record. Then he pointed right at the witness stand. "Objection!"

Anthrust blinked and fiddled with his scarf. "Uh. Why are you objecting? I thought that was a good testimony."

"You said you didn't know either of the women on the roof, right?"

"I do! I mean, I don't! I didn't know those girls!" A sheen of sweat appeared on Anthrust's brow. He quickly wiped it away and glared at Phoenix.

Phoenix shook his head. "I think you're full of it. First of all, in your testimony earlier, you slipped and started to mention the victim by name. Second of all, according to my record...you were dating the victim, Tiffany Glass. And if you were dating Tiffany...then you must also have at least met my client!"

Anthrust winced as though Phoenix had just punched him.

Javert, meanwhile, sighed deeply, adjusted her pince-nez, and began writing on her notepad again.

Anthrust sighed. "Okay. I knew Tiffany. I dated her. So what? Does that change what I saw?"

The Judge nodded. "Does it change anything at all?"

"It changes everything," Phoenix said. "If he was her ex...well, he'd have a motive for murder, wouldn't he?"

"And what would that be?" Anthrust growled.

Phoenix grimaced and started scratching the back of his head. "Uh. I dunno. She jilted you?"

Javert looked up from her notepad. "Monsieur Wright. I shall not tolerate baseless conjecture in this courtroom. Do you have evidence that the witness was a jilted lover?"

"I-I don't," Phoenix admitted.

"Then would you be so kind as to retract your statement?" Javert said.

Phoenix sighed. She was right, after all. "I retract my statement," he mumbled.

"Can I go now?" Anthrust asked. He smoothed his blonde hair and looked at the door. "I gotta go to work."

The Judge leaned back in his chair. "I can't think of any reason to keep you here..."

"He lied twice in his testimony!" Phoenix exclaimed. "Let me finish my cross-examination."

Javert adjusted her pince-nez and shrugged. "Why? He's lied twice so far. His testimony has been proven to be unreliable."

Phoenix slammed his palms against his bench and glared at Javert. "If his testimony was unreliable, then how can he be a decisive witness? How can you prove that my client pushed the victim?"

"The victim's skin was under your client's nails." Javert didn't even look at Phoenix. "Case closed."

Phoenix shook his head. "That's not entirely true." He pulled the autopsy report out of his briefcase and tapped on it. "It's true that my client's skin was under the victim's nails. However, other skin was found under the victim's nails as well. DNA tests are pending." He tilted his head toward Javert and nodded. "Take that."

Javert's expression remained neutral. "If you wish to waste the court's time with a pointless cross-examination, then feel free, Monsieur Wright."

Anthrust stood up. "I won't stand for this. I'm not going to be treated like the murderer here!"

"Sit down at once!" Javert barked. "Monsieur Wright has requested to continue his cross-examination. The law requires that you remain seated until you are released." She pulled out her notepad and began to write in it.

Anthrust smoothed his hair and scowled. "Okay, seriously, what's with that stupid notepad?"

The corners of Javert's lips turned up in a slight smile. "I am writing down every one of your infractions, Monsieur witness. So far, I have two counts of perjury and one count of contempt of court."

Anthrust swallowed and started tugging on his scarf. This time, as he did, something fell to the floor with a tinkling sound that echoed through the courtroom. He blushed furiously and bent down to pick it up. "S-sorry. I-I'm being clumsy." He grabbed it, and Phoenix saw a glint of silver, just like he had earlier...

_What did Nola say...she gave the victim some jewelry, didn't she? Something silver? And part of it is missing..._

"Let me see that," Phoenix said.

"See what?" Anthrust blinked.

"That thing you dropped."

Anthrust's eyes began darting back and forth. "I-it's not important! It's just a little trinket. Meaningless." He fumbled with his pockets, and dropped the thing he'd been holding again. He mumbled something under his breath, then bent down to retrieve his item.

"You're awfully nervous. Are you sure it's unimportant?" Phoenix asked.

"I'm nervous because I've never been late for work before!" Anthrust snapped. He clenched the thing he'd dropped tightly and adjusted his scarf. "And you're making me later!"

"Let me see it," Phoenix pressed. "The sooner you do, the sooner you can go to work."

"Yes, let us see," said the Judge.

"Fine," Anthrust snarled. He opened his fist to reveal part of a silver bracelet...with a unicorn charm on it.

Nola gasped. "That's it! That's the bracelet I gave Tiffany!" She held up the half she had brought into the courtroom. "Look, Phoenix, they match."

Phoenix looked over at Tiffany, and then back at Anthrust.

"Is this...er, is this broken jewelry important?" asked the wide-eyed Judge.

"It's very important," Phoenix said. "Remember my client's testimony earlier. She said that New Year's Eve was the victim's birthday, and that she'd given her a rather unique bracelet as a gift...a bracelet with a unicorn charm!"

"So what?" Anthrust growled. The sheen of sweat had reappeared on his brow. "Maybe I found it on the roof after she fell!"

"At what time did you go to the roof and see the victim's body?" Phoenix asked.

"11:30! Definitely 11:30." Anthrust shifted in his seat and tightened his scarf.

Phoenix shook his head. "Impossible."

"Objection!" Javert's voice rang through the courtroom like a bell. "Why would it have been impossible?"

Phoenix grinned. "Because, Prosecutor...at 11:30, the victim and my client were still there!"

"That's not good enough," Javert shot back. "I want to see some hard evidence that the client could not have seen the victim's body at midnight."

Phoenix narrowed his eyes. _Ask and ye shall receive, Lawbot 3000!_

"If you look at the autopsy report, you'll see that the victim's time of death was at 12:15 am. At 11:30, she had not yet been murdered."

Javert winced, but quickly regained her composure. "Are you certain that the witness is remembering the time correctly? Are you certain that he is not...lying? He appears to have a proclivity toward lying, after all."

"I do not! I'm just nervous!" Anthrust snapped, wiping the sweat from his brow. "It was 11:30!"

"He seems to be pretty sure about it," Phoenix said.

Anthrust started tugging on his scarf again. "Look. We're getting nowhere. Can I please go? Please?"

Phoenix shook his head. "No. There's one more piece of evidence here. One more thing...and it's going to blow this case wide open."


	4. 1:4: Trial, Part Three

Phoenix took a deep breath and rummaged through his Court Record. _Where is it...ah, there! _Taking hold of the victim's cell phone, he held it up before the courtroom. "This phone belonged to the victim. Prosecutor, I believe that a record of all of the calls the victim made or received were on this phone?"

Javert nodded. "That is correct."

"Let's open it up and see..." Phoenix said. He powered up the phone, and then checked the calls that had been received. "Your first name is Perry, right, Mr. Anthrust?"

Anthrust nodded.

"I find it very interesting that the second-to-last call the victim ever received was at 11:30...and it was from you!"

Anthrust smirked. "Oh? But who was the last call from?"

Phoenix felt his confidence deflating like a flan left in a cupboard. "Uh, my client."

"Exactly!" Anthrust crowed. He grinned broadly and looked around the courtroom. "As you can see, I am perfectly-"

"That doesn't prove anything!" Nola snapped. "But your call being received at 11:30-that proves you couldn't have been on the roof when you said you were!"

"Defendant, if you make another outburst like that, I will hold you in contempt," the Judge warned.

Nola grimaced and looked over at Phoenix. "Sorry. I've never liked him."

Anthrust shrank back. "I..er..." He tugged on his scarf. "So what?"

Phoenix looked at the phone again. This time, he checked the numbers that the victim had dialed. The very last number she'd dialed had been Nola's number. And she'd dialed it at 12:03.

"Hold it!" Phoenix shouted. "The victim's phone shows that the last number she dialed was my client's! And she dialed it at 12:03 a.m!"

The crowd in the galleries erupted. The Judge slammed his gavel down several times.

"Order! I will have order!" He looked down at Phoenix and stroked his beard. "Mr. Wright. What does that prove?"

"It proves that my client could not have been on the roof when he says he was. And it proves that the witness could not have witnessed the crime!"

Anthrust tried to speak, but the only sound that came out was a high-pitched squeak.

"Something's bothering me," Phoenix said. "If the victim was wearing the bracelet at midnight, and if my client found half of it on the roof...how did you come into possession of it?"

Anthrust's lower lip started to tremble. "I-I-it was-it-w-was-"

"I think that you met the victim on the roof," Phoenix said.

Anthrust gripped his scarf so tightly that his knuckles turned white. "I-d-don't w-want to t-talk!"

"You're playing with that scarf a lot," Phoenix noted.

"It's rather distracting," Javert said. "Perhaps there is something you are hiding with that scarf, Monsieur witness?"

"There's nothing! It's nothing!" Anthrust was sweating profusely now.

"Monsieur witness. Remove your scarf," Javert said. When he opened his mouth to argue, Javert shook her head. "Immediately."

Anthrust scowled, and then yanked the scarf off.

Nola gasped.

The crowd exploded.

"Order!" shouted the Judge. "Order!" He banged his gavel three or four times until the crowd settled down.

On either side of Anthrust's neck were two sets of angry red scratches. They couldn't have been more than a few days old.

Phoenix thought back to the autopsy report. There had been some skin under the victim's nails that hadn't yet been identified...

"It was you," he blurted out before he realized what he was saying. He bit his lip, then looked over at Javert.

Her attention was focused on the man at the witness stand.

Anthrust was hyperventilating. "I-it w-was...it...it was...IT WAS AN ACCIDENT!" he shrieked before he collapsed in a heap at the witness stand.

The Judge wisely chose to call a five-minute recess.

When court reconvened, Anthrust stood at the witness stand, handcuffed and slouching. He stared down at the floor, never raising his eyes to Phoenix, Javert, or even the Judge.

"It was an accident," he whimpered. "I-I was in Tiffany's building that night. I was doing an errand for a friend, and I thought I'd call her..." He swallowed and raised his hand to wipe the tears from his eyes. "I met her on the roof. I tried to tell her that I changed...but..." He shook his head. "We fought. She tried to call Nola, and I grabbed her by that bracelet she was wearing and yanked the phone out of her hand. Broke the bracelet, too," he added. "Then she grabbed my neck, and I freaked out and shoved her. She scratched me pretty good on the way down." Anthrust swallowed again and shook his head. "She managed to grab the ledge, and I...I could have saved her. But I got scared and ran. I heard someone coming up the stairs, so I hid in the stairwell. When the coast was clear, I ran. And I didn't even realize I still had part of that bracelet until I got home."

He looked apologetically at Nola. "I guess I didn't change, after all."


	5. 1:5 Trial Latter

_**January 3, 2024, District Court, Defendant Lobby No. 2**_

"I told you I wasn't guilty!" Nola crowed. She smiled. "Thank you, Phoenix! I owe you."

Phoenix just shrugged. "It's fine. Just my job." _So what? I lucked out and got a decent client this time. Big whoop._

Nola took a deep breath and looked down at the floor. "I should have stayed with her. If I had stayed, maybe none of this would have ever happened." She frowned and bit her lip.

"It isn't your fault," Phoenix said. "You couldn't have known."

"I guess you're right, Phoenix." Nola stuffed her hands into her pockets and looked around. "So, um...did you ever think of maybe going back to being a lawyer? You're pretty good at it. I'd even go so far as to say that you were born to be a lawyer!"

Phoenix grimaced. "I...um. Well." He shook his head. _This was a favor. I'm not doing it again. I refuse._

Nola grabbed his hand. Phoenix winced and tried to pull his hand away, but Nola had an iron grip.

_Urk! She's like a human vise! _

"Phoenix Wright!" Nola exclaimed, "No matter what happened before, you have to rise from the ashes of your past and be reborn in the now!" She giggled and let go of Phoenix's hand. "That's what my guru always says, anyway."

Phoenix opened his mouth to speak when he heard the click of high-heeled shoes on the floor behind him. He slowly turned around and saw Prosecutor Javert approaching him.

She towered over him with those boots on, he realized. She was easily over six feet tall. Phoenix swallowed. He hoped that she wasn't about to tear him a new one for some minor infraction of the law. He took a slow, cautious step backward.

Javert looked down her hooked nose at him and adjusted her pince-nez. "Monsieur Wright," she said. "Congratulations."

Phoenix blinked a few times.

"That's all," Javert said. She almost smiled. "I see that you haven't changed all that much in five years. I look forward to meeting you in court again." She bowed her head slightly, and then turned and walked away.

Nola giggled. "See, Phoenix? Even Javert thinks you should stay a lawyer!"

Phoenix shrugged. "Well...I...I'll think about it."

Nola beamed. "Great! And hey, you're gonna need an assistant!" She nudged him with an elbow.

"Urk!" Phoenix scooted away from Nola and frowned. "I thought you worked at the Prosecutor's Office."

Nola grimaced. "Yeah. About that. I kinda...er...well, they let me go just after I was arrested. But I have experience! And knowledge! I'm just the girl for the job!"

_And just like that, I returned to being a lawyer. I still don't trust in my clients the way I did before. But it's like Nola says...I am capable of rising from the ashes of my past and living one day at a time._

_**END EPISODE ONE**_


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